Working in the garden can be fun and enjoyable but if you've cut back and pruned quite a bit, it can be a pain to clean up afterwards. It's often the case that for common outdoor tasks such as these, branches that have been removed are just too bulky or perhaps too sharp to fit into standard refuse collection bags or bins. Of course you may like the challenge of chopping up leftovers into manageable sizes manually but for most, a garden shredder (also aptly called a chipper) is the perfect solution to make the process less physically demanding – not to mention you'll be saving time that can be used more effectively doing other things.

Shredders are outdoor tools specifically designed to reduce waste from pruning into manageable volumes of wood chips. In fact, these devices can reduce the volume of wood by a ratio of up to 10 to 1, which of course represents a huge saving of space and means that you end up spending less time trying to dispose of waste. What's particularly great about the chips produced by some machines is that they can be used as mulch, added to compost heaps or, as garden design trends go these days, be used to make unique-looking pathways.

Available types

These outdoor tools fall into three categories: impact, crushing and reverse action models. Impact variants work with one or more blades that slice leaves and green branches finely. They're not ideal for larger branches that are woodier though and some models can be particularly noisy. Important to note too is that over time, blades may need to be replaced. Crushing models are better at dealing with woody branches and can't process green plant matter (for which impact variants are best). They're also generally less noisy but the material these machines produce isn't as fine, which isn't ideal if you're wanting to use the waste for compost. Crushing models don't however require much maintenance, as they don't have blades that can become blunt over time. Reverse action machines enable you to ensure material doesn't get stuck by using the handy reverse action feature to free debris.

There are shredders that are termed specifically as “silent shredders”. They're mainly designed to reduce the noise that's typically produced when sawing wood and using cutting machinery. This reduction in noise not only makes the process more pleasant for you but is probably best for your neighbours too! So called "light" models are created mainly to deal with twigs and thin branches. They can use as little as 2000 watts and will get through roughly 78kg per hour of shredding. Heavy-duty models will require 4500 watts but may be able to process as much as 230kg over the same 60 minute period.

These useful outdoor tools can also be classified according to the source of power they use. Electric models are the most popular type and often tend to be more lightweight. They can present a problem however if you have a particularly large area to cover, as you're restricted by the length of the machine's power cable. Of course you can use an extension cord, but this and the cable included may be bothersome and get in the way. Petrol models on the other hand have no cable and can be used anywhere, making them extremely versatile. They're also more powerful and can therefore often process more material than their electric counterparts, shredding branches of up to 7.5cm thick. These machines do, however, tend to require more maintenance over the long run.

Safety first

Although many shredders are produced with integrated safety features such as an engine break, it's important to remember that when using such a machine, safety comes first. For this reason it's advisable to invest in a good pair of goggles and gloves. Remember too that these garden tools may have sharp blades and can pose a danger to children, who should never be left unaccompanied in their vicinity.